Butter chicken
My version of butter chicken, which is also known as murgh makhani. It’s super easy and incredibly tasty, aromatic and creamy. The yoghurt marinade is the secret for the tender chicken. Better than any takeaway and full of herbs and spices like ginger, cumin and turmeric that can help reduce inflammation. Its so good that you might want to lick your plate clean!
butter chicken
Ingredients
serves 3-4
Yoghurt marinade
4-6 chicken thighs (skin removed and cut away from the bone). Thighs cut into cubes
1-2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
125 g coconut milk yoghurt
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 thumbnail size piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch or 2 of chilli flakes
Butter chicken sauce
1 tsp coriander seed
1-2 tbsp odourless coconut oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 garlic clove, finely sliced or grated
1 thumbnail piece of ginger, peeled and grated
160ml coconut cream
250ml water
1 tsp honey
Add your chicken to a bowl and season with sea salt. Mix well.
Add all the marinade ingredients to the chicken and mix well. Cover and leave to infuse in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Start making the butter chicken sauce. Add the coriander seed to a medium heat and dry fry. Stir constantly. When the aroma starts to release, add the coconut oil and onion. Cook the onion until soft.
Add the tomato puree, spices, garlic and ginger. Continue to cook and stir constantly until the the puree deepens in colour. Add the coconut cream, water and honey. Mix and bring to a gentle simmer.
Remove from the heat and blitz until smooth.
Add the chicken and all the marinade to the blitzed sauce and return back to a medium heat. Bring upto a simmer. Cover with a lid and continue to cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through.
Taste and season with a little sea salt if needed and more chilli flakes if you like your butter chicken spicier
I served mine with rice, sprinkled with nigella seeds and chilli flakes, and oven baked broccoli.
